Apparatus for feeding sheets, such as labels, from a pack to positions at which they are required



4 1 0 8 m Ow 6 A 4 8 P s t 2 A e e h S RD Fml I1 ..U Q E R m Nov. 18, 1958 J. E. SHERRINGTON APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SHEETS, SUCH AS LABELS, TO POSITIONS AT WHICH THEY Filed July 25. 1955 FIG In I e n tor ttorney Nov. 18, 1958 J. E. SHERRINGTON 2,860,804

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SHEETS, SUCH AS LABELS, FROM A PACK TO POSITIONS AT WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED Filed July 25. 1955 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 A torney Nov. 18, 1958 J. E. SHERRINGTON 2,860,304

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SHEETS, SUCH AS LABELS, FROM A PACK T0 posxnons AT wmcu THEY ARE REQUIRED Filed July 25. 1955 11 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 2n

)D 4 r I k I "lllllllllllllllll '3! l 18 Inventor At orney 1958 J. E. SHERRIN ON 2,360,304

APPARATUS FEED SHEETS, SUC S LABELS. FROM A PACK T OSITI AT WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED Filed July 25. 1955 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 //Illl R1; w d

Fl 6. 2 b.

Attorl ey Nov. 18, 1958 J. E. SHERRINGTON 2,350,304

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SHEETS, SUCH AS LABELS. FROM A PACK TO POSITIONS AT WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED Filed July 25. 1955 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 4.

At rney Nov. 18, 1958 J. E. SHERRINGTON 2,850,804

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SHEETS, SUCH AS LABELS, FROM A PACK TO POSITIONS AT WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED Filed July 25. 1955 11 Sheets-Sheet 6 70:: 70b 7 \x 68 69 I, 3 62 64 67 FIG. 5.

HIHHH IHIIHIHIHHIII Nov. 18, 1958 J. E. SHERRINGTON 2,860,804

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING sums-rs, SUCH AS LABELS. FROM A PACK T0 POSITIONS AT WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED Filed July 25. 1955 11 Sheets-Sheet 7 FIG. 7'.

gun by livestor Nov. 18, 1958 J. E. SHERRINGTON 2,860,804

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING susms, sucH AS LABELS. FROM A PACK TO POSITIONS AT WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED Filed July 25. 1955 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 FIG. 11. A,

FIG. 12.

Qua aw At orney Nov. 18, 1958 J. E. SHERRINGTON 2,360,304

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SHEETS, SUCH AS LABELS. FROM A PACK T0 POSITIONS AT WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED Filed July 25. 1955 11 Sheets-Sheet 10 INVE TOR Nov. 18, 1958 J. E. SHERRINGTON APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SHEETS, SUCH AS LABELS, FROM A PACK TO POSITIONS AT WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED ll SheetsSheet 11 Filed July 25. 1955 :JqmmumuTA m Hmm J INVENTOR 805m E mc Fina -rays N A ORNEY United States Patent F APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SHEETS, SUCH AS LABELS, FROM A PA'CK TO POSITIONS AT WHICH THEY ARE REQUIRED John Eustace Sherrington, London, England, assignor to Purdy Machinery Company Limited, London, England Application July 25, 1955, Serial No. 524,231 Claims priority, application Great Britain July 26, 1954 13 Claims. (Cl. 216-54) This invention relates to machines for feeding a series of sheets, such as labels, from a pack, respectively to a series of objects and is primarily concerned with mechanisms for supplying strap labels, or strip stamp labels, over bottle corks, caps or stoppers.

In our co-pending patent application Serial No. 493,516 filed March 10, 1955, now Patent 2,808,955 issued October 8, 1957 mechanism is described that includes a picker arranged to convey each sheet to a predetermined location, a travelling assembly including a series of grippers brought in succession to the said location, means for releasing each sheet from the picker at the said location and for substantially simultaneously operating a gripper at that location so as to secure the sheet thereto, and means for actuating the grippers in succession to enable the sheets to be applied to objects at the aforesaid positions at which the sheets are required. These positions are generally located in the travelling assembly, being constituted, for example, by the tops of bottles located in positions respectively allocated to the grippers.

According to the present invention a machine for feeding a series of sheets to a series of objects includes a conveyor, 21 gripper mounted on the conveyor to circulate therewith, a sheet carrier comprising a magazine arranged to circulate along a predetermined path and to hold a pack of sheets with the sheet at one end of the pack in a predetermined position in the magazine, means for causing the gripper to have an adhesive affinity for the sheets, the path of the said predetermined position and the path of the gripper being such that the gripper periodically makes contact with a sheet at the said position and then separates from the magazine with the sheet adhering to the gripper, and means for transferring the sheet so separated to one of the objects. The gripper and the said sheet at one end of the pack may be arranged to rotate in opposite directions about separate axes and the machine is preferably furnished with a series of magazines and a series of grippers, the magazines being arranged to pass in sequence through a position in which the transfer of sheets to grippers takes place, and the grippers similarly being arranged to pass in sequence through the said position.

Where the magazine, or each magazine, presents the labels (or other sheets) with their surfaces in a vertical plane and these are to be mounted, for example, over the top of a stoppered bottle, each gripper may be mounted to rock about a horizontal axis so that, after receiving a label or the like, it is turned to bring the label or the like to a horizontal position. In such an arrangement, the adhesive is on the underside of the label or the like when the latter is in the horizontal position so that the gripper is preferably provided with two fingers, between which the label extends, arranged to lie on opposite sides of the object to which the label is to be 2,850,804 Patented Nov. 18, 1958 ice applied. In the case of a strap label, this may be clamped to the top of the bottle after the label has been brought to the horizontal position, and the gripper may then be swung upwards so that the ends of the label slide off its two fingers. When the gripper has risen well clear of the bottle, rollers or presser pads may be caused to press the ends of the label against the sides of the bottle neck, or neck and shoulders, so as to adhere firmly thereto.

The means for causing the grippers to have an adhesive affinity for a label or the like may consist of means for applying an adhesive to the grippers. Such means may very conveniently comprise a positively rotated roller to be engaged by the grippers as they circulate on the conveyor, and means for projecting an adhesive onto the surface of the roller to be transferred by the roller to the grippers.

The conveyor may be arranged to move at a uniform speed, and in any event, it is preferable to arrange the magazine, or magazines, to travel at a linear speed corresponding to that of the grippers. Thus, if the grippers rotate in a circle about a fixed axis, the speed at which each label in the magazine travels prior to being delivered to a gripper is substantially the same as that of the grippers in their circle of movement. This circle substantially touches a circle in which the label travels and, in order to avoid making the magazine travel in an inconveniently small are or at too great an angular ve locity, it is preferable to provide the magazine mechanism with more than one magazine. For example, there may be conveniently as many magazines equi-distantly distributed round the axis of the magazine mechanism as there are grippers equi-distantly distributed round the axis of the conveyor. The angular velocity of magazine mechanism will then be that of the conveyor. Alternatively there may be half as many magazines as there are grippers, the angular velocity of the magazine mechanism then being twice that of the conveyor. Generally, the factor that controls the speed at which the machine operates is the rate at which bottles or the like can be delivered into and discharged from the conveyor. Thus, when the speed of the latter has been determined it is a matter of designing the magazine action to suit this speed, while keeping the size of the magazine mechanism within reasonable limits.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, apparatus in accordance therewith will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a sectional plan of driving mechanism for a bottle labelling machine;

Figure 2 is a sectional plan of label magazine mechanism and bottle conveyor mechanism in the machine;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of certain details of the machine;

Figure 4 is a sectional plan of certain details, including those appearing in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an elevation of further details of the machine;

Figure 6 is a section on the line VI-VI in Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a sectional side elevation of further mechanism in the machine;

Figure 8 is a sectional front elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 7 but with the parts in difl'erent positions;

Figure 9 is a sectional elevation similar to Figure 8 but showing the parts in yet other relative positions;

Figure 10 is a plan showing a modification of the machine;

Figure 11 is a section on the line XI-XI in Figure Figure 12 is a plan which comprises a portion of Figure 10 but showing additional parts;

Figure 13 shows an arrangement wherein there are half as many magazines as there are grippers, and

Figure 14 is a top plan view, with some parts sectionally shown, of the complete apparatus.

Like the machine particularly described in the aforesaid prior specification, this example comprises a turntable 1 having eight bottle positions thereon to which the bottles are delivered in succession at a fixed location X at the periphery of the turntable. However, the turntable is not rotated at a fluctuating speed, but at a uniform speed. Also, as in the preceding construction, a gripper 2 is mounted above each bottle position, but these grippers are not mechanically actuated clamps. They are more in the nature of pickers in that they pick the labels by adhesive means from magazines and locate them above the bottles. Each such gripper is bifurcated and pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis about which its position is determined by a stationary cam 3.

The turntable 1 is driven by a motor 4 (Figure l), the connection being by way of a pulley 5, belts 6, a pulley 7, a variable speed gear 8, a pulley 9, belts 10, a pulley 11, a shaft 12, a bevel gear 13, a double faced bevel gear 14, and gears 15, 16, 17.

The bottles B are fed into the machine by an articu lated endless conveyor belt 18 driven from the bevel gear 14 by a bevel gear 19, a shaft 20, and sprocket and chain gearing 21.

In order accurately to time the arrival of each bottle at the turntable l, a finger 22 (Figure 2) is pivoted about an axis 22a on a lever 23 pivoted about a fixed axis 23a. The finger 22 projects over the conveyor belt 18 and it is formed on the remote side of the axis 22a with a pawl 22b which, when the parts are in the positions shown in Figure 2, is located with its tip in a notch formed in an element 24. This prevents the finger 22 from swinging about the axis 22a when a bottle is brought up against the finger 22 by the conveyor belt 18, which then slides along under the bottle until the finger 22 releases the bottle. To enable the finger 22 to release a bottle so as to enable it to be located at the required point on the turntable 1. the large gear 17, which is co-axial with and drives the turntable 1 is in mesh with a gear 25 (Figure 1) so as to drive a shaft 26 through the medium of a sprocket 27, a chain 28 and a sprocket 29. Fixed to the shaft 26 are a cam 30 and a notched disc 31. The cam 30 engages a roller 34 at one end of a two-armed lever 32 pivoted about a fixed axis 33 and connected at its other end by a link 35 to the lever 23. Therefore, when the cam 30 swings the lever 32 counterclockwise about the axis 33, the lever 23 is swung clockwise about its axis 23a so as to free the pawl 22b from the element 24. The movement of the bottle is then no longer resisted by the finger 22, so that the bottle is carried along once more by the conveyor 18 into engagement with one of three notches 36 in the notched disc 31. The finger 22 is immediately returned to engage the next bottle by a spring 22a. The notched disc 31, together with a stationary curved wall 37 that extends across the track of the conveyor 18 sweeps the bottle laterally off the conveyor 18 onto the turntable 1. It will be observed that the disc 31 overlaps the top of the turntable 1. In order to prevent the bottle from falling between the conveyor 18 and the turntable 1, it is carried over an intervening stationary supporting surface.

Each bottle B arrives on the turntable 1 between one of eight jaws 38 fixed to the turntable and a corresponding one of eight jaws 39 pivoted to the turntable about axis 40 fixed relatively thereto. The bottle B is clamped between the two jaws under the action of mechanism that is not shown because it forms no part of the present invention. This mechanism comprises a stationary cam track that acts on levers to swing the pivoted jaws 39 to-and-fro to clamp the bottles for the required period and then release them.

The turntable 1 is fixed to a shaft 41 which rotates with the turntable and has fixed thereto above the turntable a spider 42 having eight radial arms formed with bifurcations 43 at their outer ends. These bifurcations 43 have rotatably mounted therein horizontal spindles 44 positioned between each pair of spider arms. There are, thus eight spindles 44 and the height and size of the spider 42 is such that they lie radially outside and slightly above the tops of the respective bottles B. A gripper 2 is fixed to each spindle 44 between the bifurcations by which it is supported and extensions of the spindle 44 beyond the bifurcations carry lever arms 45, 46. The free end of each lever 45 is connected by a tension spring 56 to a pin 47 fixed to the spider 42. Each arm 46 carries a crank pin 48 connected by a ball and socket joint 49 to a link 50 which, in turn, is connected by a ball and socket joint 51 to a horizontal lever 52 on a vertical shaft 53 journalled in a bearing 54 in a horizontal plate 55 fixed to rotate with the shaft 41, which passes through the earn 3 which is fixed by bolts 3b to a stationary part of the machine. Each shaft 53 has a horizontal arm 57 fixed to its upper end and each arm 57 carries a roller 58 that rolls round the periphery of the cam 3. Thus, as the turntable 1 together with the spider 42 and plate 55 rotate, the stationary ca m 3 causes the shafts 53 to oscillate in succession about their axes causing the grippers 2 to oscillate under the action of the levers 52, links 50 and arms 46. The compression springs 56 always keep the rollers 58 in contact with the cam 3.

It will be observed that the bifurcation of each gripper 2 provides two fingers formed with surfaces 59. Gum is applied to these surfaces to enable them to withdraw a strap label from a magazine prior to transferring the label to the top of a bottle. The grippers all function, of course, in the same way and in sequence, and the operation of a gripper will now be followed through in detail. Except when the gripper is actually positioning a label on a bottle, it is maintained by the mechanism described above in the upright position of Figure 3 and soon after passing the position X at which a new bottle is placed below the gripper, the gum is applied. For this purpose the gear 17 is arranged to drive a shaft 61 through a gear 60, the shaft 61 having fixed thereto a gear 62 and a sprocket 63. The gear 62 drives a pinion 64 on a shaft of a gear pump 65 mounted on a stationary pillar 66 which also carries a gum reservoir 67. The pump 65 withdraws gum from the reservoir 67 through a pipe 68 and delivers it through a pipe 69 having an open end that discharges the gum onto the peripheral surface of a gumming roller 70. The latter comprises a rubber cylinder 70a mounted between metal discs 70b is rotated by the sprocket 63 acting through a chaine 71 and a sprocket 72. Surplus gum is scraped off the gumrned surface and returned to the reservoir 67 by a scraper blade 73. The linear speed of the periphery of the gumming roller 70 is the same as the linear speed of the gripper surfaces 59 about the axis of the turntable 1 and the path of the surfaces 59 is such that they make contact with the periphery of the gumming roller and so receive gum therefrom.

After passing the gumming position the gripper reaches a position in which it withdraws a label from one of eight magazines M in magazine mechanism to be described in detail below. A pack of strap labels L, each in a vertical plane with its longer dimension horizontal, is retained in each magazine. The magazine mechanism is carried by a vertical shaft 74 driven from the gear 17 in a direction counter to the turntable through the medium of a gear train 75, 76, 77, 78 (Figure l). The radially outermost label L in each magazine M is always at the same radius from the axis of the shaft 74 and its circumferential speed is the same as that of the gripper surfaces 59. Moreover, the circular path of the centre of the outermost label in each magazine slightly overlaps the circular path of the gripper surfaces 59, and the outer face of the label is exposed except for some small overlapping tongues 79 that retain the pack in the magazine. The eight magazines M are allocated respectively to the eight grippers 2 and each pair of gripper surfaces 59 once in each revolution of the turntable 1, rolls into contact with the outer face of the outer label in its associated magazine, becoming square with the magazine on the vertical plane containing the axes of the shafts 41 and 74. It will be understood that, as viewed in Figure 2, the turntable 1 rotates clockwise and the magazine mechanism rotates counter-clockwise continued movement results in the surfaces 59 rolling away from the magazine but, owing to the gum applied to the gripper surfaces 59 the outer label adheres to these surfaces, being drawn out of the magazine, first by the leading surface 59 and then by the trailing surface 59, with its edges snapping past the tongues 79. The gripper surfaces 59 are formed with notches 59a so as to enable the gripper to clear the tongues 79 while being pressed against a label.

Shortly after parting company with the magazine, the gripper 2 is swung inwards and downwards about the axis of its spindle 44 by the mechanism described above with reference to Figures 3 and 4, so that the label is held in a substantially horizontal plane as shown on the gripper in the location Y in Figure 2. Immediately the label is brought to this position, a plunger 80 (Figures 8 and 9) is pressed down by mechanism described below .to clamp the label on top of the bottle. The gripper is then swung upwards once more to the position of Figure 3 and as shown, for example, at the location Z in Figure 2. The gummed free ends of the label L are thus left free and they are subsequently pressed downwards along the sides of the bottle neck by rollers 81 (Figure 9). As the labelled bottle and the associated gripper 2 continue their course to a location W (Figure 2) at which the bottle is discharged from the turntable 1, the plunger 80 and rollers 81 are withdrawn and the jaw 39 is opened so as to leave the bottle free to be swept off the turntable by a stationary curved wall 82 with the assistance of one of four arms 83 of a rotor 84 which carries the bottle over an inten vening supporting surface back onto the endless conveyor belt 18. The rotor 84 is carried by a shaft 85 driven from the gear wheel 17 (Figure 1) through a gear 86, a sprocket 87, a chain 88 and a sprocket 89.

Referring to Figures 2 and 6, the magazines M will now be described in detail. The magazine shaft 74 has fixed to its upper end a plate 90 formed with eight coplanar radial projections 91. Respectively on opposite edges of each radial projection 91 are two brackets 92 each carrying a horizontal rail 93. These rails extend along opposite sides of the pack of labels L and are formed with two of the little tongues 79. Two similar rails 94, also formed with tongues 79 at their ends, extend along the upper surface of the projection 91. Vertically above the rails 94 and extending over the top of the label pack are two further rails 95 carried by members 96 fixed respectively to the brackets 92. It will be seen from the label shown at the location Y in Figure 2 that each label is formed at its centre, on each edge with a small arcuate extension so that the pack of labels is deeper at the centre than at the sides. The top of the centre portion of the outermost label is engaged by a tongue 79 on a plate 97 extending from a member 98 bridging the rails 95. The tongues 79 on the rails 93, 94, 95 engage the outer faces of the shallower portions of the front label.

Each pack of labels L is held with the outermost label in contact with the tongues 79 by a presser plate 99 fixed to the front end of a rack 100 guided horizontally by a member 101 and in mesh with a pinion 102. A vertical rack 103 guided vertically by the member 101 is also in mesh with the pinion 102. The rack 103 is urged downwards by a weight 104 at the lower end thereof so that torque is applied to the pinion 102 tending to urge the presser plate 99 in the direction of the tongues 79 through the medium of the rack 100. The downward movement of the rack 103 is limited by a pin that engages the top of the member 101.

The mechanism for operating the plunger and presser rollers 81 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 7 to 9, which show the mechanism allocated to one of the bottle positions on the turntable 1, it being understood that similar mechanism is provided for each of the other bottle positions. However, cams 105, 106 for operating the mechanisms are common to all the mechanisms.

As soon as a gripper 2 has withdrawn a label from a magazine and has been swung downwards to the position shown at the location Y in Figure 2, and also shown in Figure 8, from the position of Figure 7, the cam 105, which is stationary permits two tension springs 107 to draw a tubular carrier 108 from the position of Figure 7 to the position in which it is co axial with the bottle B located beneath it. Thus the mechanism associated with the plunger 80 and rollers 81 is brought from a position in which it is clear of the associated gripper 2 and of the path of movement of the gripper and label, to its effective position. For this purpose the carrier 108 is furnished with trunnions 109 journalled in bearings 110 on opposite sides of a slot 111 in the edge of the plate 55, and a roller 112, which rolls on the edge of the cam 105, is mounted co-axially at the top of the carrier 108.

The plunger 80 is constituted by a frusto-conical head at the lower end of a rod 113 reciprocable in a tube 114 which, in turn, is reciprocable in a liner 115 in the carrier 108. The tube 1.14 is closed at the top and a compression spring 122 is interposed between the top of the rod 113 and the closed end of the tube 114. A cam follower roller 116 is rotatably mounted between ears 117 at the top of the tube 114. A stud 118 in the carrier 108 prevents the tube 114 from turning about its axis by engaging a longitudinal slot 119 therein. A pin and slot connection 120, 121 is also provided between the rod 113 and tube 114.

The rollers 81 are rotatably mounted respectively at the lower ends of arms 123 fixed at their upper ends respectively to horizontal spindles 124 passing through a crosspiece 125 in which they are journalled. The cross-piece 125 is fixed to the lower end of the tube 114 and is formed so that the rod 113 passes through it. Two tension springs 126, interposed between the cross-piece 125 and the plate 55, hold the tube 114 in an uppermost position, relatively to the carrier 108 when permitted to do so by the cam 106, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. When in this uppermost position, the arms 123 are drawn together, to the extent permitted by the engaging ends of two fingers 127 fixed to the spindles 124, by a tension spring 128. The fingers 127 serve to stabilize the arm assembly in the plane of the arms.

When the tubular carrier 108 has been positioned vertically under the action of the springs 107 and cam 105, the roller 116 begins to descend an inclined part of the cam 106, so that the tube 114 is depressed through the carrier 108 against the action of the springs 126. When the plunger 80 engages the label L on top of a bottle B, continued movement of the tube 114 causes the spring 122 to be compressed. The gripper 2 is immediately swung upwards out of engagement with the label L, as described above, and the continued movement of the tube 114 causes the rollers 81 to roll down the sides of the bottle neck pressing the free ends of the label L thereagainst, under the action of the spring 128. The adhesive on the ends of the label causes them to stick along the sides of the bottle neck.

A portion (not shown) of the cam 106 then permits the springs 126 to raise the tube 114 but in order to prevent the rollers from shifting the label as they rise, a pawl 129 is pivoted to one of the arms 123 and a notched element 130 is fixed to the other one of the arms 123.

When the arms 123 have been separated to a predetermined extent by the rollers 81 engaging the shoulders of the bottle, the tip of the pawl 129 drops into the notch in the element 130. Therefore, the rollers cannot approach one another again until an extension 129a on the pawl 129 makes contact with an abutment 131 fixed relatively to the plate 55. This contact is made just as the upward movement of the tube 114 terminates and results in the tip of the pawl 129 being lifted out of the notch in the element 130, permitting the rollers 81 to approach one another again to the positions shown in Figure 8. The counterclockwise movement of the pawl 129 is limited by an abutment 132 on the arm 123.

Continued rotation of the turntable 1 and plate 55 results in the cam 105 returning the carrier 108 to the position of Figure 7.

The modification shown in Figures to 12 is a nobottle-no-label device that may be applied to each of the grippers 2 to prevent it from making contact with the gumming roller 70, and with a label in the associated one of the magazines M, in the event of no bottle being in position to receive the label. For this purpose the cam 3 is provided with a small additional lobe 133 which rocks each gripper backwards and downwards about the axis of its spindle 44 before the gripper reaches the gumming roller in each revolution of the turntable 1. If no bottle is in position beneath the gripper 2, a tension spring 134, interposed between a lever 135 and a bracket 136a fixed to one of the bifurcations 43, swings the lever 135 counter-clockwise (Fig ure 10) about a pivot 136 on the bifurcation 43 to bring a projection 137 on the lever 135 over the top of part of the gripper 2. The latter, therefore, cannot rise again, under the action of its spring 56, when the associated roller 58 has travelled past the lobe 133. The gripper 2 is, therefore, latched against making contact with the gumming roller and the magazine. When, however, the magazine has been passed, a pin 138 on the projection 137 brushes past an arm 139 pivoted at 140 to a fixed rail 141 and loaded by a tension spring 142 fixed at its remote end to the rail 141. The spring 142 is strong enough to swing the projection 137 clockwise about the pivot 136 so as to free the gripper 2 to the action of its spring 56 which raises the surfaces 59 to the extent permitted by the cam 3. The movement of the projection 137 about its pivot 136 is limited by a pin and slot connection 144.

it now a bottle is positioned beneath the gripper 2, it engages a downward projection 143 integral with the unit comprising the lever 135 and projection 137. This prevents the spring 134 from drawing the projection 137 over the gripper 2 when the latter is depressed by the lobe 133. The gripper, therefore, immediately rises again. ready to receive gum and a label, when the associated roller 58 has moved beyond the lobe 133.

In Fig. 13 an alternate arrangement is suggested in which there are half as many magazines as there are grippers. That is to say, there is therein shown a turntable 1 having eight bottle positions and eight grippers 2 similar to that shown in Figs. 8 to l2. The magazine mechanism is also similar except for the fact that it has four instead of eight magazines. It is therefore required to rotate twice as fast as the turntable 1 and is accordingly driven from the turntable through the medium of gearing 145, 146, providing the necessary speed ratio. Moreover. the diameter of the magazine mechanism, as measured between the outer extremities of each pair of opposed magazines in Fig. 13 is half that of the diameter of the magazine mechanism in Figs. 1 to 12.

I claim:

I. A machine for feeding a series of sheets to a series of objects, said machine comprising, in combination, a conveyor for the objects, a gripper mounted on the conveyor to circulate therewith and located so that it lies beyond one end of one of the objects, a sheet carrier including a magazine arranged to circulate along a predetermined path and to hold a pack of sheets with the sheet at one end of the pack in a predetermined position in said magazine, means for driving said conveyor and said sheet carrier in timed relationship with one another, means for causing said gripper to have an adhesive afiinity for the sheets, said conveyor and said sheet carrier being so located relatively to one another that said gripper, periodically makes contact with a sheet at said predetermined position and then separates from said magazine with said sheet adhering to said gripper, said gripper being mounted to move towards and away from the end of the object, and means for moving said gripper to transfer the sheet so separated to the end of the object.

2. A machine for feeding a series of sheets to a series of objects, said machine comprising, in combination, a gripper mounted to rotate in a circle about a vertical axis, a magazine mounted to rotate in a circle about an axis, parallel to said first-mentioned axis, and to hold a pack of sheets with the sheet at one end of the pack in a predetermined position in the magazine, means for driving said gripper and said magazine in timed relationship with one another in opposite directions about their respective axes, means for causing said gripper to have an adhesive aflinity for the sheets, said gripper and said magazine being so located relatively to one another that said gripper, periodically makes contact with a sheet in said predetermined position and then separates from said magazine with said sheet adhering to said gripper, an object support mounted to rotate about said firstmentioned axis in a position such that said gripper lies beyond one end of the object, means for effecting relative movement between said gripper and said object support firstly toward one another to transfer the sheet so separated to the end of the object and subsequently away from one another.

3. A machine according to claim 2, in which said driving means are arranged to rotate said gripper at a speed such that the label engaging portions thereof have a circumferential velocity equal to the circumferential velocity of said predetermined position in said magazine.

4. A machine for feeding a series of sheets to a series of objects, said machine comprising, in combination, a conveyor for the objects mounted to rotate about a fixed vertical axis, a series of grippers mounted on said conveyor and distributed around said axis in positions respectively located above positions that may be occupied by objects on said conveyor, said grippers being arranged to move downwards and upwards towards and away from the tops of the objects, a sheet carrier mounted to rotate about an axis parallel to said firsbmentioned axis and including a plurality of magazines distributed around said carrier axis and each arranged to hold a pack of sheets with the sheet at one end of the pack in a predetermined position in the magazine, means for driving said conveyor and said sheet carrier in timed relationship with one another in opposite directions about their respective axes, means for causing the grippers in sequence to have an adhesive affinity for the sheets, said means being operative in advance of a predetermined position through which said grippers travel, and said sheet carrier being so positioned that the end sheets in the packs therein also travel through said position whereby the end sheets adhere in succession to said grippers and are withdrawn from the magazines, and means for moving the grippers downward for transferring the sheets in succession to the objects and then for moving them upwards in succession away from the objects.

5. A machine according to claim 4, in which the sheet carrier is provided with as many magazines as there are grippers on the conveyor.

6. A machine for feeding a series of sheets to a series of objects, said machine comprising, in combination, a conveyor for the objects, mounted to rotate about a fixed vertical axis, a gripper mounted to swing about a horizontal axis and carried by said conveyor, a magazine mounted to rotate about a fixed axis parallel to said firstmentioned axis, means for driving said conveyor and said magazine in opposite directions about their respective axes, in such timed relationship that said gripper converges on a predetermined position in said magazine and then separates therefrom, means for providing said gripper with a surface having an adhesive aifinity for a sheet whereby, on reaching said predetermined position, a sheet adheres to said gripper to be withdrawn thereby from said magazine, mechanism for moving said gripper to and fro about said horizontal axis between a first position for engaging a sheet in said magazine and a second position for locating it on an object, means for retaining the sheet on the object when said gripper is returned to said first position, and means in said magazine for feeding a pack of sheets therein towards said predetermined position whereby a new sheet is located in said position each time a sheet is withdrawn therefrom,

7. A machine according to claim 6 in which said gripper is formed with two fingers and in which said means for providing an adhesive afiinity are effective on each finger so that the sheet adheres to both fingers, said means for retaining the sheet on the object comprising a plunger adapted to clamp the sheet on the object between said fingers and presser members adapted to press the adhesive parts of the sheet on the object when said gripper returns to said first position.

8. A machine for feeding a series of strap labels to the tops of a series of stoppered bottles, said machine comprising in combination, a conveyor having a series of bottle positions distributed around a vertical axis about which said conveyor is mounted to rotate, a series of grippers, allocated respectively to said bottle positions, mounted to oscillate about horizontal axes above said positions, and to present faces facing radially outwards with respect to said conveyor, means for rendering said outwardly facing faces adhesive in succession, magazine mechanism for applying labels in succession to said adhesive faces, means for turning said grippers in succession about said horizontal axes so as to position the labels over the tops of the bottles, each said gripper being formed with two fingers adapted to lie on opposite sides of a bottle top with the label extending between them, reciprocable plungers allocated respectively to the bottle positions and adapted to press the labels onto the bottles between said fingers, said gripper turning means being arranged to return said grippers in succession to their initial positions leaving the labels clamped to the bottles by said plungers, and presser means for pressing the ends of the labels, previously engaged by the grippers, into adhesive contact with the sides of the bottle necks.

9. A machine according to claim 8, provided with carriers allocated respectively to the bottle positions, members respectively reciprocable in said carriers, said presser means for the several bottle positions being mounted respectively on said reciprocable members and said plungers being respectively reciprocably mounted on said reciprocable members, resilient means interposed between each plunger and its corresponding reciprocable member, means for depressing each reciprocable member to cause the associated plunger to bear on the top of a bottle and subsequently to cause said presser means to wipe down the sides of the bottle neck while said plunger yields against said associated resilient means, and means for raising each reciprocable member after the depression thereof, said presser means comprising rollers adapted to roll down the sides of the bottle neck, resilient means arranged to press said rollers against the bottle neck, latch means adapted to hold said rollers apart by a predetermined amount when they have been separated by that amount as a result of engagement with the bottle and means for unlatching said rollers when said reciprocable member is raised.

10. A machine according to claim 8, provided with carriers allocated respectively to the bottle positions and pivotally mounted to rock about horizontal axes located so as to lie above the bottles on said conveyor, said presser means for the several bottle positions being mounted respectively on said reciprocable members and said plungers being respectively reciprocably mounted on said reciprocable members, resilient means interposed between each plunger and its corresponding reciprocable member, means for turning each carrier about its axis from an initial position to locate the associated plunger co-axially with a bottle, means for depressing the associated reciprocable member to cause the plunger to bear on the top of a bottle and subsequently to cause said presser means to grip down the sides of a bottle neck while said plunger yields against said associated resilient means, means for raising the reciprocable member after the depression thereof, and means for subsequently returning the carrier about its horizontal axis to said initial position.

11. A machine for feeding a series of adhesive sheets to a series of objects, said machine comprising, in combination, a rotary conveyor, means on said conveyor for supporting a gripper, a gripper mounted to move on said supporting means between two positions, means for holding one of the objects on said conveyor in juxtaposition to said gripper, cam means for holding said gripper in one of said two positions during part of a revolution of said conveyor, means traversed by said gripper during the rotation thereof for rendering said gripper adhesive when in said position, means for applying a sheet to said gripper so that it adheres to the adhesive thereon, resilient means for moving said gripper to the other of said two positions to apply the sheet to an object, means for clamping the sheet to the object, said cam means being arranged subsequently to return the gripper to the first position, and said cam means being further arranged to move said gripper against the action of said resilient means, and then to release said gripper, prior to the traversing of said gripper over said means for rendering the gripper adhesive latch means responsive to the presence or absence of an object in juxtaposition to said gripper for retaining said gripper when so released in the absence of an object, so as to prevent said gripper from engaging said adhesive applying means, and means for subsequently freeing said gripper from said latch means.

12. A machine for feeding a series of sheets to a series of objects, said machine comprising, in combination, a conveyor for the objects, a gripper mounted on the conveyor to circulate therewith, a sheet carrier including a magazine arranged to circulate along a predetermined path and to hold a pack of sheets with the sheet at one end of the pack in a predetermined position in said magazine, an adhesive applying roller mounted to rotate about a fixed axis with its periphery in the path of said gripper, means for applying adhesive to the surface of said roller to be transferred to said gripper, the gripper being a rigid bifurcated unit in which the ends only of the bifurcations make contact with the roller to receive adhesive therefrom, means for driving said conveyor, said sheet carrier and said roller in timed relationship with one another, said conveyor and said sheet carrier being so located relatively to one another that said gripper periodically makes contact with said sheet at said predetermined position and then separates from said magazine with said sheet adhering to said gripper, means for clamping said sheet, when carried by said gripper, to an object, the means for clamping the sheet to the object being arranged to engage the sheet between the bifurcations, means for separating said gripper from said sheet when so clamped, and means for pressing the adhesive portions of said sheet, previously engaged by said gripper on the object.

13. A machine according to claim 12, in which said gripper is pivotally mounted on said conveyor to swing to and fro between a position in which said bifurcations traverse a path such as to make contact with a sheet in said sheet carrier and a second position, which is located 11' substantially at right angles to said first-mentioned position, and in which the label is located face-toface with the object, said means for separating said gripper from the sheet being means for returning said gripper to said firstmentioned position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,179,442 Lieber et a1. Apr. 18, 1916 12 McFarland Feb. 11, 1919 Johnson et al Apr. 15, 1919 Varga May 30, 1922 Talbot Apr, 21, 1942 Roy Mar. 13, 1945 Manas Nov. 29, 1955 

